“There’s families all across the country that miss people, but there’s nothing like military families,” he said. “I know they’ve lost people, but they also have people overseas who are missing holidays, weddings, births, real life moments. And they sacrifice so much for all of us here to live freely while they’re over there missing family time. And if you think about it, why wouldn’t you want to be involved in something that helps to put a smile on their faces?”

Also, there’s the fact that country music seems to be a favorite of so many members of the military and their families back home.

“I know that a lot of our troops like country music,” Swindell said. “I would love to do anything I could to just help them out. I’m just glad to be singing songs that touch people. That’s why I fell in love with country music: it made me feel something.”

Swindell’s late father Keith, who inspired the title track of You Should Be Here, was an Air Force sergeant.